SIR Process in Bengal Linked to Suicides and Family Devastation
The SIR (Special Intensive Revision) process in West Bengal has precipitated a tragic wave of suicides among Booth Level Officers (BLOs), leaving their families in profound grief and financial turmoil. For Sudipta Das, a homemaker from Mukundapur, the SIR hearing has irrevocably shattered the life she once cherished with her husband, Ashok, a school teacher and BLO, and their 13-year-old son.
Personal Tragedies and Financial Insecurity
In her early 40s, Sudipta lost her husband, Ashok, who died by suicide on January 15, leaving behind a note that read, "I cannot handle the pressure of SIR." She has since filed an FIR alleging abetment to suicide. As the Bengal CEO recently sought an additional seven days for the SIR process, Sudipta expressed her anguish, stating, "It will never be the same anymore. As a mother, I have to keep fighting for my son's well-being. My husband's death has created an intense financial insecurity."
Despite receiving a casual job with the Bengal government, offering a salary of Rs 10,000, Sudipta struggles to sustain her family. "It is difficult to run my family on this amount alone. I was given only half of my husband's monthly salary because he died in the middle of the month, and all his dues are still pending. The family pension will take at least 8-9 months to start. How will we run our family until then?" she lamented, highlighting the dire economic consequences of the SIR process.
Widespread Frustration and Demands for Justice
The SIR process has instilled a deep sense of void, anxiety, and frustration among numerous affected individuals. Mahadeb Hansda, husband of Namita Hansda, a 50-year-old Anganwadi worker who also served as a BLO in Memari, voiced his outrage. "The biggest frustration is that the Election Commission does not even recognise that the deaths took place due to the SIR stress. I was with CM Mamata Banerjee when she went to meet the EC last Monday. They were not even ready to hear us out," he said, adding that he walked out of the meeting in anger and frustration.
In another heartbreaking case, Bhaskar Mukherjee, a 52-year-old resident of Ausgram, allegedly died by suicide after discovering that his father's name was incorrectly spelled on the SIR list. His son, Ullas Mukherjee, explained that this error caused severe mental distress to his father. Ullas had traveled to Delhi with CM Banerjee to seek justice, vowing, "I have lost my father because of SIR. We will keep fighting till we get justice."
Systemic Failures and Calls for Reform
Suku Ekka, husband of Shanti Muni Ekka, a 48-year-old ICDS worker appointed as a BLO in New Glencoe Tea Estate, shared his wife's ordeal. She was found hanging at their home on November 19. "My wife was struggling to hand over the enumeration forms to estate workers, who were never at home during the day. She had to work late at night, and her inability to speak and write Bengali made the form-filling process and data upload extremely difficult. Her repeated pleas to be relieved as a BLO were turned down. I hope nobody else has to face this torment," he said, underscoring the systemic pressures and lack of support faced by BLOs.
These incidents collectively highlight the urgent need for accountability and reform in the SIR process, as families across Bengal grapple with loss and financial hardship, demanding recognition and justice from authorities.
